ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: zap mc on November 06, 2013, 04:16:28 PM
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Interesting to note that the Zero MX does not feature in the model range now.
looks like a gap in the market for BRD to slot straight into now Brammo have also dropped the Encite
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It seems that the stealth dirt-bike market would be compelling, but I imagine it's just not that big relative to the development investment.
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I would have thought it was an easier market to serve in may ways as the bikes don't have to be road legal or homologated.
Zero started off in this market with the old Zero X ( again RIP )
you would have thought people would want to ride a dirt bike without annoying their neighbours, what ever happened to "Brammoparx" ?
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Many people who would find the MX acceptable can't afford it. People spending over $10k on dirt bikes probably wouldn't find the chassis acceptable. Electric is absolutely the future of off-road, especially with environmental concerns closing in, but even just on merit of what it can be with an electric powertrain.
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If they stuck a zero powertrain into a CRF250 chassis it would probably do great if it was cheap enough. Modern MX bikes take massive amounts of abuse which the X chassis was never able to cope with.
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If they stuck a zero powertrain into a CRF250 chassis it would probably do great if it was cheap enough. Modern MX bikes take massive amounts of abuse which the X chassis was never able to cope with.
That reminds me, has anyone heard of these guys?!
http://www.evdrive.com/company/who-we-are/ (http://www.evdrive.com/company/who-we-are/)
They do exactly what you mention, but as usual the offering is not "cheap"
The more I look at it, the price is the factor that is holding this industry back from widespread acceptance.
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I suspect the cost of batteries has a lot to do with that.
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Look at the press images - the MMX specifically, a stripped FX with knobbies and chain drive.
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/press/ (http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/press/)
Image: http://media.zeromotorcycles.com/press-2014/small/mmx/studio/2014_zero-mmx_studio_lp-wbg_1680x1200_press.jpg (http://media.zeromotorcycles.com/press-2014/small/mmx/studio/2014_zero-mmx_studio_lp-wbg_1680x1200_press.jpg)
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If they stuck a zero powertrain into a CRF250 chassis it would probably do great if it was cheap enough. Modern MX bikes take massive amounts of abuse which the X chassis was never able to cope with.
That reminds me, has anyone heard of these guys?!
http://www.evdrive.com/company/who-we-are/ (http://www.evdrive.com/company/who-we-are/)
They do exactly what you mention, but as usual the offering is not "cheap"
The more I look at it, the price is the factor that is holding this industry back from widespread acceptance.
I have ridden the development bike. It ROCKS! These guys are pros and the CTO is one of the nicest people I have ever meet in the EV world. Very professional and if I had the funds I would purchase one in a heart beat.
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Electric is absolutely the future of off-road, especially with environmental concerns closing in, but even just on merit of what it can be with an electric powertrain.
I agree! Electric power has such huge advantages over IC on dirt in a number of ways but high torque over a broad range of speeds without shifting certainly tops the list. I've told a lot of dirt riders that if they ride an electric in the dirt they will not want to ride gas again.
I have no desire to ever take a gas bike onto the dirt again. My FX will do 70 to 80 miles of out and back (most dirt rides are out & back) of rough dirt and I'm ready to get off of it by 50.
Trikester
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I think that the MX failed because of the price and the lack of a racing class. Serious MotoCross and Enduro riders want a bike that they can race and the MX was more costly than ICE counterparts and there is no racing class to compete in with it.
The FX has a much larger market appeal as it can do trails, commuting, or pure street riding.
I think that the MMX will be marketed directly to military or fleet opportunities rather than sold through the dealer network and that is why you still find it in the marketing literature but not on the main page where different models are listed.
My local dealer did not even bring an MX model in to floor as they thought that they could not sell such a high priced dirt only bike that did not fit into any racing class. I think they were right.